Monday, October 29, 2012

vegan mofo :: "vegan sandwiches save the day!" contest and review

Hurricane Sandy is headed straight for Philadelphia. Winds are kicking up – 47 mph gusts, 2 inches of rain and 20-foot-high waves already. The worst is set to hit us around in just a few hours by 8-10 pm: 80-100 mph winds and likely power outages for several days. Imminent flooding, damage and destruction: you know the drill. It's getting scary; I hope my windows don't get blown out! This said, I wanted to get my Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day!
tour post and contest up before I lose power. [If you don't hear from me for a few days, you'll know why...]

First, I'm honored to be your trusty tour guide for today. I've followed Celine's blog forever, salivating at her tasty creations and scrumptious photos. Tami was a fabulous tester for my first cookbook and I wrote a back-cover blurb for her first cookbook, American Vegan Kitchen. It's one big vegan lovefest! Let's get started with the tour, then I'll tell you about the giveaway contest.

Layout and photos: You eat with your eyes first, and thanks to Celine's gorgeous photos, this colorful, eye-pleasing cookbook will have you licking the pages. Its layout is clean, well-indexed and easy to scan, which in my eyes, is always a plus.

Recipes: This cookbook features 101 sandwich recipes, from new takes on old favorites [eg, Muffaletta, Pan Bagnat] to revolutionary delights [eg, Peanut Butter Banana Bacon, Mac-shroom]. I tested 3 recipes for my tour. I listed them below in my order of preference. Because of the storm though, please note I wasn't able to use the exact breads specified.

When most of us make sandwiches, they usually consist of bread, a store-bought condiment and a store-bought filling. These creative ladies have catapulted the humble sandwich to new levels of flavor complexity by giving us recipes for all 3 components: fresh breads, DIY dressings, and hand-made fillers like Gobbler Slices and No-Cluck Cutlets. Although created specifically for sandwiches, the usefulness of the individual components reaches well beyond said 'wich recipes. For example, I ate leftover tempeh "unfish" sticks with ketchup for lunch one day, and I dressed my salads with the umami-yummy leftover Miso Dressing I had used for the Unfishwish and Out of Tuna Sandwich.

The Unfishwich: Breaded tempeh sticks slathered in an Old Bay/kelp flavored tartar sauce. Mercury and cruelty-free!

Sandwiches are usually something we quickly and mindlessly throw together when we are hungry and lazy. Celine and Tami have slowed ... sandwiches ... down... and have elevated them to works of art, with several levels of well-thought-out flavors.

The only real issue I have with the book is the Pittsburgh Steak Sandwich. Pittsburgh? Nothing against the Steel City, but Philly is THE home of the vegan cheesesteak. Obviously, Pittsburgh was a typo.

Authors: Instead of serving up the usual vegan biographical fare, I thought it would be fun to ask Celine and Tami a question: "If they were a sandwich, what kind would they be and why?"

Celine: "I would be a crispy whole grain panini filled with
pesto, melting homemade cheese (Miyoko to the rescue!), and well-seasoned,
grilled veggies. Because it's simple, wholesome, and delicious and I'm...not?"

Tami: "Oven-toasted french bread (pull some of the insides out to make
room for lots of goodies inside) barbecue sauced seitan (the apple butter bbq
sauce from the Mac-shroom is one of my favorites), fried pickles (check out the
Jimwich for these), and if I have it, crumbled vegan blue cheese. If not, a
smear of mayo on the bun. I’d also add some pico de gallo. I just had that with
a bbq sandwich at Melt in Cincinnati and the two of them together was bliss.

How does this relate to me? As an old school punk, (looks can be
deceiving), I don’t like boundaries, authority, or the word “no”. Combining
elements that aren’t typically paired together to create a knock-out sandwich was
one of our goals of the book. We want you to pick your favorite parts from a
bunch of recipes and put them together in your own way. Oh, and I can be saucy,
spicy, and sometimes cheezy."

The contest: To enter to win a free copy of Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day! please leave a comment and tell us if you were a sandwich, what kind would you be and why? I will choose a winner in the next few days [Caveat: power-permitting...it may be longer depending on the whim of Hurricane Sandy.] US and Canadian residents only, please. And be sure to include a way we can contact you. Good luck!

The hurricane: To everyone in Sandy's path: be safe, be sensible and prepared, and please make sure you have a disaster plan in place for your pets. Heaven forbid, but if you see pets who are kept outdoors [eg, canines in doghouses] speak up and take action, if needed.

57 comments:

Cashew nut butter, mixed with a shake of cinnamon and with sliced banana and apple on toasted raisin bread 'cause I'm a tad on the nutty side. Slightly toasting the bread makes it warm enough to melt the nut butter just enough.

Sweet post, Dynise! And I'm glad to see the comments button back at the bottom of posts, yeay, now I can bother you on your blog. I already have this awesome book, but another one wouldn't hurt anybody (gift time!).

My husband says I would be a spicy pumpkin marinated tofu sandwich with heirloom tomatoes and organic arugula, on home made bread--I don't know why :-) He did say there HAS to be arugula on it, since I put arugula on everything (particularly sandwiches!). I tend a bit on the spicy side, and need that kick of arugula (and often hot sauce as well) on many things I eat!

I'd be the grilled cheese sandwich of my dreams -- on homemade sourdough with lots of vegan cheddar, a spicy tomato-chipotle spread, thin slices of red onion and tomato, and lots of fresh cilantro. And I would be delicious! :)

I know this may be boring but I'd be an ALT (avocado, lettuce, tomato) with maybe some tempeh as well :) A vegan restaurant in my city makes the best one ever... mmmm! email is ginger_girl84@hotmail.com

Overstuffed burrito, because just when you think you've reached the depths of my personality THERE'S MORE GUA--okay, maybe not exactly. Let's say it's because I'm a little busy, a little messy, and know the value of a good sturdy tortilla.

If I was a sandwich, I'd be a toasty, cheese-free panini on sprouted bread filled with lightly grilled zucchini and mushroom slices, raw peppers, red onion, garden-fresh tomatoes and a big ol' leaf of kale. With dijon mustard.

Why? Not only is that one of my personal favorite sandwiches, but I could say it represents my no-nonsense, slightly spicy, simple-but-deep personality. ;)

If I were a sandwich I'd be a big slab of smokey, baked tofu sitting high on a lightly toasted ciabatta roll with fresh green lettuce and ripe heirloom tomato picked straight from the garden, topped off with avocado wedges, pickled jalapeno,sweet onion sliced paper thin and a fat dollop of Vegannaise. In these difficult times, I just want to make everyone a little happier.

If I were a sandwich I'd be your classic grilled "cheese" with grilled onions, sliced tomatoes, and sliced avocados (all organic of course) accompanied with a bowl of tomato basil soup. With the weather being so crazy, it's the perfect comfort food, with a little twist. I got out of the east coast just in time and flew home to sunny southern California, however, my Mom is still in Martha's Vineyard. Everything's good there minus some street flooding, but I have friends in New Jersey with over 6 inches of water in their homes and their towns devastated... and a friend in NYC who is still without power. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone on the east coast.

I would be a DELISH black bean burger/sandwich with ketchup, mustard, onions, lettuce, tomato, maybe a dash of vegan mayo all on a focaccia bun or bread. YUM! I hope to win this cookbook, I LOVE LOVE sandwiches! :)

If I were a sandwich, I would be a portobello mushroom sandwich because I'm mature, earthy & tasty =) It would be marinated in teriyaki sauce topped with a grilled pineapple slice, melted miyoko "mozzerella" & kale leaf, on a ciabatta roll thinly dressed in veganaise.

If I were a sandwich, I would be the "other" Pittsburgh sandwich - a vegan Primanti sanwich piled high with vinegar-y cole slaw, french fries and some daiya cheddar; all toasted and melty on some soft Italian bread.

I would be thin slices of savory vegan seitan gyro, with crisp shreds of lettuce, diced tomatoes, french fries(!!) for crunch, crumbles of vegan feta, and a cool and smooth vegan tzatziki sauce on top, all stuffed in a garlicky toasted flatbread. Mostly because I feel as though I always smell like garlic, but also because I'm zesty yet warm and satisfying.

Let's try this again with a different username... The first one came out as goobledegook.

﻿A vegan "tuna" melt with great vegan cheese and avocado slices. Put it on a soft sandwich roll, then on a panini press until everything is good and melty. I'm getting hungry just writing this comment!

I hope that ya'll made it through Sandy safely and that all is well. I would be a untuna sandwich (I mix crumbled tempeh with onion, pickle relish, vegannaise, a little mustard, celery, kelp flakes and black pepper) place on your fav bread with either lettuce, sprouts or fresh spinach and dig in. I'd love to win this cookbook to open up my sandwich options!